Silver Linings Epilogue
by Copperfishy
Summary: The very long but fitting ending to my story Silver Linings. It just didn't want to be a one chapter epilogue, and who am I to deny more Delena fluffy goodness all while wrapping everything up with a neat bow?
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! I'm finally back from my vacation and ready to get this epilogue posted. I might actually need to split it into three parts instead of two like I originally thought, but I have to see how the second section cooperates first(which I am still not done writing, but working on it).

Also, I'm switching the epilogue to Damon's point of view, and it will be obvious why once you start reading :)

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"Whoa, nice catch!" I grinned as Alex caught a blueberry in his mouth on the first try.

Mia shouted, "My turn!"

I grabbed a few more of the berries and tossed them towards her face, but she missed every one and they scattered on the floor where I would be the one to pick them up later.

"No fair!" Mia pouted. "How do you do it?"

Alex explained, "You just have to keep your eye on it, and then you let it fall in your mouth. Like this." He snatched a blueberry from the counter and threw it in the air to catch.

"I wanna try!" Mia demanded, reaching for a blueberry herself.

I quickly put a stop to that before she inadvertently had the entire container full of berries on the floor and we didn't have enough for pancakes. "Here, you stand still with your mouth open and I'll drop it for you."

She did as I asked and I dropped the berry into her mouth, making her giggle happily. I tugged one of her pigtails with a teasing look before returning to the griddle to pour some more pancakes.

Neither of my kids had changed much over the past year and a half or so. Mia still loved the color pink and was obsessed with princesses. Alex still begged me to go fishing every time the weather permitted.

I, on the other hand, had changed quite a bit. My life went from single uncle playing father to two children to the complete opposite, and I had a beautiful wife to thank for that.

"Do I smell blueberry pancakes?" I heard Elena's voice yell from the bedroom across the house, and I smirked to myself. That woman and her nose—she was like a bloodhound ever since her hormones were thrown off balance.

"Why don't you get your lazy butt out of bed and come check?" I shouted back, earning snickers from both kids.

I flipped the pancakes onto a plate and set them on the table just in time to watch Elena waddle into the room with a glare fixed on her face. She was dressed in a pair of jeans with a sweater pulled down over her big pregnant belly. She huffed, "Excuse me for being thirty nine weeks pregnant."

I grinned and crossed the room to greet her with a kiss. I grabbed the back of her neck and placed a long, chaste kiss on her lips which she happily returned.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, dropping my hands to her stomach to feel our baby.

"Good." She said. "I've got a feeling that the baby isn't going to come until after the due date. He's stubborn, just like his father."

I raised a brow, "I think we're both to blame for that trait, babe."

She rolled her eyes a little then sat down at the table. Mia and Alex assumed their seats on either side of her and I brought over the butter, syrup, and whipped cream for Elena's pancakes.

And no, that wasn't a craving. She's just a natural sugar and fat lover. She's just lucky that the baby seemed to be sucking up all of the calories, or else she'd have gained a lot more than twenty pounds while pregnant.

I sat down across from her with my own plate of pancakes and mentally rolled my eyes at the sight of both kids completely covered in syrup. They were not the neatest eaters.

"When can we open a present!?" Mia blurted out excitedly once we were all eating breakfast.

"How about we wait until we're done eating and Grandma comes over?" Elena offered. "But you can only open one today if you promise not to put up a fight for bedtime tonight. Santa won't come unless you're asleep."

"Okay!" Mia easily agreed. "Do you think Santa will bring everything I wanted?"

Elena shrugged, "Maybe. I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Allowing the kids to open one present on Christmas Eve was the only way Elena and I were able to keep them from annoying us the entire day. They were just too excited for tomorrow, and if all we had to do to keep them out of our hair was let them open one present, we'd happily do it.

"Can you open a present for the baby?" Alex asked Elena. "I got him a present, and I want you to open it!"

"How about we wait until tomorrow for the baby's presents?" Elena said, placing a hand on her stomach. It was more like her own personal shelf at this point. Before bed, I sometimes catch her eating while watching TV in our bed with a glass of water sitting on her stomach. I don't know what she's going to do once our son is born and that shelf is gone.

After breakfast, I brought everyone's plates into the kitchen to clean while Elena helped me, despite my arguing. In her own words, she was 'pregnant, not disabled.' Except she was thirty nine weeks pregnant and due to go into labor at literally any second.

And she says the baby is stubborn because of me.

Just as she closed the dishwasher, she gasped then pouted, "Damon, your son is training to be an MMA fighter in my uterus."

Mia questioned, "What's MMA?"

As she flounced over to Elena to feel the baby kicking, Elena explained, "Mixed martial arts. It's a professional fighter on TV."

Mia giggled when she felt one of the baby's thumps, "He's so strong!"

I tossed the dishrag onto the counter then joined them, placing my hands on Elena's stomach next to Mia's. Sure enough, there were some more bumps and kicks. That feeling would never get old.

I grabbed Elena's left hand and brought her wedding ring to my lips to kiss. As if you even needed to ask, our wedding was most definitely a shotgun wedding. We found out Elena was pregnant in May when she started having morning sickness. It was a surprise, that's for sure, but a happy surprise.

Getting married just made sense. We had talked about marriage before she was pregnant, and it was always a part of our plan. So after the doctor confirmed that Elena was really pregnant, I went out and bought a ring. I proposed to her the next day. I took her out to dinner to celebrate the news, and afterwards we took a walk on the beach. I got down on one knee at sunset and asked her.

She hardly even let me finish asking before she said yes.

The next month went by in a blur of wedding plans. Caroline stepped up to the plate to act as our planner, not that the ceremony required that much work. We kept it small—just close friends and family. We were married on a boardwalk in June, and we decided to postpone the honeymoon until after the baby's here so Elena can drink.

With any luck, once we do get around to our honeymoon we'll be too busy trying for baby number two that it won't even matter where we go.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and figuring it was my mom I asked Elena, "Can you get that, babe? Mom probably forgot her key."

She nodded and kissed my cheek before waddling over to the door with Mia at her heels.

The kids were excited to meet their cousin. I swear, it's been like an endless barrage of gifts and drawings and cards from them ever since we told them.

"Damon?" I heard Elena's voice call. "Can you come here?"

She sounded…not herself.

Hoping that everything was okay with the baby, I hurried over to the front door only to stop dead in my tracks when I saw who was standing in my house. I blinked hard a few times, as if what I was seeing wasn't real, but every time I opened my eyes he was still there.

"Stefan…" I breathed in shock, and the next thought going through my head was the kids.

Alex was in the living room still looking through all of the presents to decide which to open today, but Mia was wrapped tightly around Elena's legs, hiding behind her. I wasn't sure if she even knew that he was her dad.

Elena had a comforting arm wrapped around her niece, but Mia still wouldn't come out.

I didn't even know what to say.

"Hey, Damon." Stefan said awkwardly, trying for a smile.

Like hell this reunion was going to be all sunshine and rainbows. He left. Not just me and Mom, but his two children. Coming back now wasn't going to be so easy.

For fuck's sake, Mia was scared of him! His own daughter didn't even recognize him, and I'll be damned if I place my trust in him only to find out that he's leaving again.

"Elena, can I open this one!?" Alex came running into the foyer holding a wrapped gift, but any and all excitement died as soon as he saw his dad standing there for the first time in over four years.

He abruptly dropped the gift and it fell on the floor as he ran over to Stefan and my brother picked him up in a hug.

I felt Elena grab my hand and give it a squeeze, and I sent her a tight smile before returning my attention to my brother.

When he set Alex down, I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I got discharged for a while." He offered. Neither of us even knew what to do or say, and it was painfully obvious.

Stefan knelt down to give Alex another hug, and then he looked towards Mia sadly. She hugged onto Elena tighter and hid behind her legs again.

What a fucking nightmare…he couldn't have given us a little warning before showing up at our doorstep?

I bent down to Mia's level and said to her, "Mia, do you know who this is?"

She nodded silently and whispered, "My daddy."

"That's right. Do you remember him?" She shook her head again and didn't say anything. I shot Stefan a withering glare then said, "That's alright, Princess. It's been a long time. It's okay if you don't remember him."

She glanced at Stefan then asked, "Is my mommy coming home too?"

My heart broke at the hopeful look in her eyes and I sighed, "No, baby, your mommy is never coming back. But your dad is here now, and I know he missed you while he was gone. I'm sure that he loves you enough for your mom too, and Elena and I will always love you too."

Mia hesitantly peeked around Elena's legs, and Stefan held out a hand to her. Alex encouraged her, "Mia, it's Dad! He's back!"

She instantly ducked behind Elena's legs again, so I tried, "Princess, why don't you give him a hug?"

"No!" She suddenly yelled. "I want you and Elena to be my mommy and daddy!" And then she ran to her room, her door slamming loudly behind her.

I closed my eyes and exhaled shakily, then I felt Elena's soft touch on my shoulder where I was still crouched down. Shaking my head, I stood up then said to Alex, "Hey buddy, why don't you go next door and make sure Grandma's up?"

He was a smart kid. He knew that Mia's reaction wasn't something anyone expected, and it hurt to think that he hurt because she didn't share his excitement at seeing their father.

And now, he nodded silently then grabbed his coat and slipped on his snow boots before going outside.

When I was sure he wouldn't hear me, I turned to Stefan and glared, "You're pretty fucking unbelievable, you know that?"

"Damon…" Elena gripped my bicep, and I sighed.

Stefan, looking guilty, said, "I know."

Good. He deserved to feel guilty.

"You could have at least called to warn us you were coming home. I mean, what the hell? Did you honestly expect that you could just show up after almost five years and things would go back to the way they were? What's the matter with you!?"

"I know, Damon!" He said a little louder than he probably intended, judging by his lowered voice when he spoke next. "I know. I don't know what I was thinking, I just…wanted to come home. It was all last minute. I requested leave and my commanding officer had no problem granting it. The next thing I know, I'm on a plane flying to Maine. I don't even have a phone yet."

I felt myself shaking my head, "You don't get to do this. You don't get to show up on our doorstep and be a father again, because right now, I have a little girl who was abandoned when she couldn't even talk down the hall, upset because she probably thinks she's going to separated from the only family she's ever known."

"I fucked up, Damon! I know!"

Stefan ran a hand through his hair, only further disheveling the messy locks. It was the first time that I was actually able to take in his appearance. He was wearing the typical army garb, and he looked almost as the same as when he'd left, but maybe just a little older. His hair was about the same, but lighter, maybe from spending a lot of time in the sun.

"I left, and there's no excuse." He added. "I'm not here to make any either. All I want is to have my family back, and not just the kids. My brother and my mom as well." His gaze flitted over to Elena, who was still clinging to my arm, "And any new family too."

In that moment, I hated him.

I hated him like I'd never hated him before, including when he first left.

I hated him more now than when I had to go to a parent teacher conference with Alex's teacher after he casually told her that he couldn't go on a field trip to the museum because he didn't have a mom or dad to sign the form.

I hated him more now than when Mia asked me why her mommy and daddy didn't want her.

I hated him more now than when I just needed my brother to be my best man at my wedding but he couldn't because he was gone and didn't care enough to even call every now and then.

And I hated him more now than ever before because he left his kids, and now that I had one of my own on the way, I just couldn't understand how he could do that to them.

It was selfish of him to leave in the first place, and here I was thinking that maybe the army actually would change him like he wanted.

But I was wrong. Because instead of thinking about how his estranged family might react, he decided to drop by out of the blue and crush everything around him.

I wouldn't forgive him for this. Not anytime soon.

I looked at my niece and nephew as my daughter and son, and I would put them first before anything else. I'd protect them with my life, and to have Stefan come in here without warning was hurting them in a way that I couldn't protect them from, or even prepare them for.

It was too late. The damage was done. The only thing left was pain, and I had no idea how we were ever going to get to a point where things would feel normal again.

Christ, I'd gotten married and I have a kid on the way! He didn't even know about any of it!

"I think you should go." I told him firmly. "Go over to Mom's. Hell, while you've already got the screw up ball rolling, you might as well give her a damn heart attack too. I don't care what you do over there, whether you want to hang out with Alex or not, but right now, I need you out of my house. I have a five year old girl that's more of a daughter to me than she is to you down the hall, crying because of you, and I will always put her first, unlike you."

I felt my throat growing tight with my emotions, and I heard Elena's soft plea to me, but all I could do was glare at the stricken look on my brother's face.

When he made no move to leave, I pointed behind him and said, "I want you out of my house. Now."

I grabbed the door, intent on showing him that I wasn't kidding, and I didn't even crack when I saw the tears in his eyes. Every ounce of pain he was feeling right now was nothing in comparison to what I've had to front for his two children over the past five years.

He finally took a step back onto the porch after picking up his bag, and I slammed the door in his face.

We were finally alone, and my body sagged against the door. My eyes were closed as I slid to the floor, but then I heard Elena grunt when she sat down in front of me between my legs.

I knew she thought I was too harsh. That's just the kind of person she was. Despite everything she'd been through, she always wanted to see the best in people, my brother included.

I was not like that. Once you broke my trust, it was nearly impossible to earn it back. I was not as forgiving as my beautiful wife.

But instead of telling me that I went about it the wrong way, she opened her arms wide.

Like not hugging her was even an option.

I buried my face in her neck and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her as close as possible with her belly between us. She ran her hands through my hair just how I like it, her nails lightly scraping over my scalp.

"I love you Damon." She started. "And I'm so sorry that things worked out like this. I don't blame you for kicking him out."

After a moment of silence, I mumbled, "Where's the 'but'?"

I could almost feel her smiling, "There is no 'but.' I'm not going to say anything, because you have every right to feel the way you do. The only 'but' I'm going to say right now is that you have a little girl that you need to talk to, and as much as I know you don't want to, this conversation has to come from you."

I nodded into her shoulder, "Okay." Dropping my hands to her belly, I rubbed her protruding round stomach lovingly and added, "I could never leave you or Max. God, I love you both so much it would kill me if I had to leave you."

Elena gave me another squeeze before I let go, and I was surprised to see tears streaming down her face. She hastily wiped them away, "Stupid pregnancy hormones. Ignore me, just go to Mia, okay?"

I stood up and then pulled her to her feet knowing that she'd need help, then I kissed her forehead before trudging down the hall.

How was I even supposed to have this conversation? My biological niece just told her biological father that she wanted me to be her father and Elena to be her mother.

There was no instruction manual on this, no matter how many parenting books I'd read and reread over the past seven months.

I knocked lightly on her door before pushing it open, "Mia?"

She was sitting on her bed, brushing the hair on one of her dolls silently. I left the door open and sat down next to her with a sigh. To my surprise, she was the one to speak first, "I don't want to go live with him."

"No, Mia, you don't have to. Your dad doesn't even have a place to live yet, but even then nobody will make you live with him if you don't want to." I explained to her.

"Can you and Elena be my new mom and dad?"

"Well, it's not that simple, Princess." My heart was breaking for the little girl that I would do anything for because this time, there was nothing to do that would ease her pain. "I'm your uncle and Elena is your aunt, so we're not your parents, but that doesn't mean that we don't love you. We think of you like our daughter, and we do all the things that parents normally do, so in a way we are your parents, but not your mom and dad." She nodded then I asked, "How do you feel about your dad coming back?"

She shrugged, and a moment passed before she whispered, "Scared."

I pulled her into my lap and urged, "Why?"

"Because I don't remember him, and he wasn't here. I don't want him to take me away because he's my dad."

"He can't take you away, Mia." I promised her. "I'm angry that he left too, and you don't have to forgive him or want to see him if you don't want to. But he is your dad, and I know that he missed you while he was away. He loves you just like I love you, but that doesn't mean you owe him anything, okay?"

She silently nodded and I pressed a long kiss to the top of her head while trying to figure out what I was supposed to do next. I guess I should actually introduce my brother to his sister in law. And I should make sure that Mom didn't actually have a heart attack at the sight of him. Though I had no real desire to look at his sorry face again today, I was not afforded the luxury of having that option. As an adult in charge of two kids, I had actual responsibilities to be mature and handle the situation accordingly.

Being an adult fucking sucks.

"How about we put on a Disney movie to watch and make some popcorn?" I offered to the little girl in my arms who just had her world flipped upside down.

She nodded, though hesitantly, and asked, "Can we watch _The Little Mermaid_?"

"Sure." I smiled. "How about we see if Elena wants in on the fun?" This time, she nodded more excitedly and I lifted her into my arms with a groan. "You need to lay off the pancakes, little missy, you're getting heavy!"

"Nuh-uh!" She shook her head rapidly as I walked towards the living room. "I'm not fat, I'm growing older!"

"Don't remind me!" I flared my eyes at her and she giggled a loud peal of laughter. I tossed her down onto the couch, making her messy bedhead even messier, and as I started setting up the TV with the movie she wanted, Elena joined us with a bowl of popcorn hot out of the microwave.

" _The Little Mermaid_? Do you think you can sing all of the songs once they come on without messing up?" She asked Mia, one arm cradling her stomach as she came over.

"Yeah, I know them all!" She confirmed, then abruptly changed the subject, "Damon, can you bring my blanket and wrap me up in a burrito?"

Chuckling, I stood up and grabbed her fuzzy pink blanket from the armchair and unfolded it. I laid it out flat on the floor and she laid down on one end, then I rolled her over to wrap it up around her while she squealed in delight.

"Snug as a bug in a rug!" I playfully pinched her cheeks, only making her laugh louder. Then I picked her up and set her down in the child sized princess chair she has, setting her up so she can watch the screen.

Then I flopped down on one end of the couch and patted my lap for Elena, "Come put your feet up. Has the swelling gone down yet?"

She unceremoniously plopped down next to me and turned to lay down so her upper body was in my lap. I placed a couple pillows under her head and back to make her more comfortable, and she kicked her feet up on the armrest of the other end, sighing, "Yeah, a little. But they still won't fit in some of my shoes."

"At least you weren't wearing a toe ring." I shot her a wink, making her roll her eyes.

Mia shushed us once the movie started and the characters started talking, so we shut it for her sake. I placed my left hand on Elena's belly while my right hand tangled in her hair, massaging her scalp.

I could stare at her pregnant belly for the rest of my life and be the happiest man on the planet. She was carrying our son pretty low, much to her annoyance, when she started having to buy maternity jeans at only three months. Now, she was huge, and I'd never loved her more. I even loved the way her belly button poked out and showed through her shirts despite the fact that she had an innie.

After about fifteen minutes, Elena suddenly reached for my hand on her stomach and started moving it around. She placed it flat against a spot on the upper part of her belly and we both smiled as Max kicked our hands for a good thirty seconds.

Then Elena said, "His feet are up here, which means he's in the right position to be born. Maybe he won't be stubborn after all."

I lifted up her sweater to expose all of her glorious skin, sporting very minimal stretch marks despite her size. I leaned down to press my lips against it and whispered to my son, "Hey Max, it's Daddy. Are you gonna be good to your mommy and come on time or make her wait? I know she loves having you in her belly, but she's not so crazy about the cravings, her swollen feet, and the back pain. Maybe you could cut her some slack and pop out of there a little early. We're all ready for you, you know. We've got the spare bedroom decorated as your nursery and thanks to Mommy's baby shower we've got everything we need. We even have a hospital bag packed for Mommy when you're ready to meet us. And I've already read all the books, so I promise I won't drop you. At least not too hard."

That one earned a soft giggle from Elena and I dropped my cheek against her belly. She reached up and ran a hand through my hair, coaxing me into closing my eyes and relaxing.

We had a mountain of problems to deal with in regards to my brother, but for right now, I just wanted to spend Christmas Eve with my wife and our baby on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

Second update of the day! Go read part 1 before this one!

Here is part two! I can confidently say there will be a third part, but I haven't even started writing it yet. I just wanted to get this one finished up real quick. Obviously there are still some unresolved feelings between the brothers, and with Elena about to pop who knows what might happen? ;)

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My dreams of a peaceful Christmas Eve didn't last long. Before the movie was even over there was a knock at the front door before it opened. My mom's voice called out, "Anyone home?"

"In here!" I yelled with Elena still sprawled out across my lap.

She followed my voice into the living room and smiled at Mia who was still wrapped in a burrito, the popcorn untouched. "Check you out!"

Mia giggled, "I'm a burrito!"

"You look nice and toasty too! It's a good thing, because it's pretty cold outside."

"I am!" Mia confirmed before looking back at the movie. Mom moved to sit down on the chair next to the couch and looked down at Elena with a knowing grin.

"You're really getting there, aren't you, sweetie?"

Elena chuckled, "Oh yeah. I feel like I'm about to peel in half and he's going to burst out like the scene from _Alien vs. Predator_."

"A Chinese buffet sent me into labor with Damon, and it was Mexican with Stefan. If you're eager, there's no shortage of tricks you could try."

Elena smirked, "Nah, something tells me he's not coming out until he's good and ready."

She smiled then said, "Speaking of good and ready…"

I dropped my head back against the couch and fought a groan.

"Stefan is back because he wants to be a parent to his kids," she said softly so Mia wouldn't hear.

"He doesn't get to pick and choose when to be a dad, Mom."

"I know he doesn't and so does he," she returned. "He's made a lot of mistakes, but how can he ever atone if nobody gives him a chance?"

She didn't get it. Stefan was the baby of the family, her youngest. She loved him and because he was her son, there was always a chance for forgiveness. And I got it, because I currently have a son of my own on the way. If he or Alex had done the same thing, I'd be forgiving as well.

But Stefan was my little brother, not my son, and somebody had to show him that we weren't going to just forget everything that happened. That's not who I was, and I couldn't be that person for anyone. It was forgive and move on, not forget.

And it was going to take a while to forgive let alone move on.

"Don't push it, Mom." I told her shortly.

She sighed then said, "Can I at least invite him over while the kids open a gift?"

I wanted to say no and tell him to go to hell. I was close to telling Mom exactly that when Elena caught me before I got the chance. She squeezed my hand and lifted a brow at me, giving me _that_ look.

"Fine." I huffed.

She nodded and stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder as she walked towards the door, "At least try to get along with him. Alex is so excited. He's been talking nonstop and I don't want that to be ruined."

"Okay." I agreed just to get this over with.

When she left, Elena sat up and said, "Mia, why don't you pick out a present to open for today? Alex and your dad are going to come over to join the fun, is that okay?"

She frowned a little lopsidedly before deciding that it was alright with a silent nod. She crawled out of her burrito and slinked over to the Christmas tree to look through the stacks of presents already beneath its branches.

Less than a minute later, we heard the front door opening and Alex's excited rambling resonated through the house. I had to try really hard not to roll my eyes at a kid that might as well be my son. I wasn't surprised that he wasn't at all mad that his dad left; Alex was just that kind of person. He was never mad at him. He looked forward to Stefan's letters and any disappointment that he wasn't here didn't last longer than a day.

Mom led the two of them into the living room and Alex eagerly slid onto the floor next to Mia to look at the presents. Mom sat next to me on the couch that way Stefan got the chair, and it's a good thing too because I don't know that I could sit next to him for an extended period of time without decking him.

But I had to play nice, solely for Alex's benefit, so I did.

"Stefan, this is my wife, Elena." I introduced them.

Elena reached over to shake his hand with her other hand on her belly, "It's nice to meet you in person. I've heard so much about you, though most of it is stories from high school if it's from Damon or childhood when it's from your mom."

Stefan returned her handshake but his gaze was locked onto her belly. I don't know what the idiot thought was going to happen while he was gone. Things weren't going to just stay the same. I wasn't going to still be the womanizing dick from high school just like his kids were no longer going to be a toddler and infant. He may have stopped his life, but the rest of us kept living.

"You're… Um, I mean…" Stefan stammered awkwardly while motioning to her big baby bump.

Bless her heart; Elena's way more forgiving than I am. She smiled proudly and caressed her belly, "Yeah, I'm thirty nine weeks. The doctor says I could go into labor any second, but I haven't so much as had the slightest hint of a contraction yet. This baby wants to stay in there even when his lease is up. We're all kind of guessing if he'll be born in this year or next year at this point. My bets are on next year. He's stubborn like that, always keeping me up at night with his kicking but sleeping peacefully during the day."

Stefan smiled a little, "So it's a boy?"

She nodded, "Maxwell James Salvatore. He was most definitely a surprise and the cause of our shotgun wedding, but he's a happy surprise. Once he's a few months old, we're going to plan our honeymoon."

God I loved her. I could listen to her ramble on and on about our son until I went deaf. The way she talks about him so clearly conveys all of the love she has and gives; she's the most admirable person I've ever met. Even after everything she went through with her last marriage, it's astonishing that she's able to love and trust so much.

"That's great," my brother grinned, though it was still strained. Good. He wasn't welcome here in my house and he should know it.

"I want to open this one!" Mia announced, running over to Elena and I then crawling into my wife's lap.

Elena took the small box with a shiny pink bow on top and said, "Ooh, this is a good one. I wonder what could be in a box that small!"

Alex chose his gift not a second later and dragged it over to the floor in front of Stefan. He chose the largest box while Mia picked the smallest. It suited their personalities.

Trying to put on a smile for the kids, I slung my arm around Elena's shoulders and said, "Alright, go!"

Alex tore into the wrapping paper like it was nobody's business, unwrapping the box in mere seconds.

"Whoa, a telescope!" He fawned, flipping the box around to see the pictures.

Elena grinned at him, "Now you'll be ready for space camp in the summer! It also has a book that shows all of the constellations, stars, and planets so you can find them all in the sky."

"Can I see the Sea of Tranquility on the moon with it?"

"I'm sure you can, and we can even try to take some pictures through the lens once it's put together," she explained to him while stroking Mia's hair. My little girl was delicately trying to preserve the bow on top, unsurprisingly. I had no doubt that she'd be asking Elena to put it in her hair before she even opened the gift.

I smiled despite my brother's return and pressed a long kiss to Elena's temple. She was going to be the best mother. She already was an amazing mother to kids that weren't even related to her by blood. I really hoped that she was wrong and that Max would come sooner rather than later. There was nothing I wanted more than to see my son's face.

Elena looked up at me with a smile and left a small kiss on my jaw. I'd half expected her hormones to make her hate me for the duration of the pregnancy. I'd heard about that happening, but I think it all just made Elena want me more. She was affectionate and just glowing; I loved her pregnant for more reasons than I could count.

Mia finally managed to remove the bow and just like I predicted, she looked up at Elena and asked, "Can you put this in my hair?"

My amazing wife smiled knowingly and clipped it on top of her head with a barrette. Only then did Mia open her gift.

She frowned when she opened the box and found a small ticket with a ballerina on it. "What's this?" She asked.

I smirked at her, "That, princess, is a ticket to your first dance lesson. They start in January."

Her eyes lit up like miniature green suns and she gasped, hugging the paper to her chest. "Dance! Oh my goodness, I wanted this!"

I grinned as Elena tried to calm her squirming. It soon became clear that Mia was too excited so I stood up and scooped her into my arms, holding her upside down while she laughed hysterically.

"You better get your dancing shoes on, because Miss Jeannie is going to make you dance your feet off!"

She squealed loudly then asked, "Can I wear my tutu!?"

Since I had no idea, Elena answered, "Miss Jeannie will give you costumes to wear for recitals, baby. I think I heard that the next one is going to be on Valentine's Day. You get to dress up like a little love bug in pink and red!"

"Yay, pink!" She screamed. I flipped her around right-side-up and she wrapped her arms around my neck, "Thank you, Damon!" I set her down so she could thank Elena too. Mia wrapped her arms around Elena's belly and said, "Thank you, Elena!"

"You're welcome, Mia," she beamed.

Damn, that put me in a better mood. I had almost forgotten that Stefan was there watching me be a father to his daughter. I also had every intention of ignoring him, too, because that was the only way I'd be able to get through this without screaming at him.

Mia ran over to Mom to show her the dance ticket and Alex was already sitting in the middle of a bunch of parts for his telescope. Stefan was holding the instructions, telling him what to do, but I was under no illusion that he wasn't paying attention to Mia and I.

"Can you help me up?" Elena asked, reaching out her arms. "I've gotta pee like you wouldn't believe."

I chuckled and pulled her to her feet. "Feeling okay?"

She nodded, "Perfect. Everything is perfect."

"Almost," I muttered before I could stop myself.

She took my hands and softly said, "I know. Nobody was expecting this but we have to roll with the punches. You don't have to forgive him or even talk to him if you don't want to, but please be civil. You'd never forgive yourself if your actions took their father away."

I sighed, pulling her into my arms and leaning my cheek against her head. Her arms went around my waist with our son pressed between us.

"It's just hard," I whispered. That's all I needed to say. That's how Elena was; she just got it.

Elena rubbed my back as she said, "Just think of Max. None of this will matter once he's here because he's all we're going to be thinking about."

"Yeah," I smiled softly. "I love you two so much."

"We love you too," she said quickly before leaning up to kiss me shortly. "Now I've gotta go or else I'm gonna pee my pants."

"Wouldn't be the first time," I said as she walked towards the bathroom. That earned a dirty look over her shoulder. Max was a big baby and sometimes she just couldn't get to the bathroom in time. Once we had to pull over on the side of the road so she could pee in the weeds because she couldn't wait until we got home.

The rest of the evening went surprisingly smooth. Tomorrow was the big family dinner, so we just ordered a pizza and sat around eating. I didn't speak to Stefan. I had no desire to hear anything he had to say. Mia stuck herself between Elena and I on the couch, clearly not wanting anything to do with Stefan either. She and Elena talked about Max for a little bit while Mia rested her head on Elena's belly. All conversations ultimately ended in talking about Max.

When it started getting late, Mia and Alex picked out some cookies for Santa and a glass of milk. Elena and I took Mia to her room for bed, but Alex insisted on letting Stefan tuck him in. I had a lot to say about that, but I kept it to myself. I knew Elena was right; Max deserved to have a relationship with his dad if he wanted one.

Once the kids finally fell asleep, Elena followed soon after. The pregnancy took a lot out of her and she usually went to bed around the time the kids did. Only tonight, while I kissed her goodnight, she made me promise that I'd use the extra time to talk to Stefan. It was one of those things I didn't want to do but I knew I had to. Like going to the doctor when you're little to get shots. It sucks, but it has to be done.

I returned to the living room where Mom and Stef were sitting and chatting. I interrupted their conversation with a terse, "Outside, now."

I didn't need to specify who I wanted to follow me. I didn't look back either, knowing Mom would be all sympathetic towards Stefan.

I stormed out onto the porch, willing myself to calm down enough not to yell. The last thing I needed were any nosy neighbors listening in, or worse than that, two overly excited children waking up on Christmas Eve night who would never go back to bed.

It was cold but it felt good. Refreshing. I could do this.

When I heard the door close from behind me, I turned to Stefan and words just escaped me. I already made my feelings perfectly clear. If I started talking now, I wouldn't be able to stop ranting.

"I don't—I don't know where to start." Stefan mumbled.

"How about you tell me if it was worth it." I shot back. "Did you get what you were looking for? Did the army fix your broken heart? Are you over Katherine?"

He looked down in shame but I couldn't understand it. If he hated himself so much, then why did it take five _fucking_ years?

"At first, I was convinced that I made the right choice," he began. "I was a mess when Kat left, you know that. I was in no state to be a parent—"

"But that's the thing," I cut him off. "It wasn't. About. You. Those kids were counting on you and you failed them."

"I was barely able to get out of bed in the morning, Damon!" He seethed. "Forcing myself to get dressed was literally painful! Eating, speaking—hell, even _breathing_ felt like I was dying! I know you and Mom didn't understand it, but I loved Katherine with everything in me. I can't explain it or even tell you why, but I did. When she left, I didn't feel like myself anymore. It was like I wasn't even in my own body, I was just watching this zombie go through the motions. I left because I was afraid of what that zombie was capable of. Without Katherine, I didn't think life was worth it. This will be a secret that you and I take to your graves, got it? Mom will never find out I was suicidal."

I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. I knew Katherine leaving hurt him deeply. I didn't know it was so deeply that he thought about killing himself.

"Alright, I get it, to some extent. I can't imagine my life without Elena. I will never understand what about Katherine appealed to you, but if you loved her that much, then I can understand how you felt. I'd be crushed if I lost Elena."

He shook his head, "Katherine wasn't a good person. I know that. She was cold and manipulative and extremely selfish, but I liked that she was independent and outspoken. They say opposites attract, and well, Katherine was my opposite. My first love. The mother of my children. But I know now that we aren't meant to be. She was never meant to be a mother. She may have said otherwise, but she had bigger goals that didn't include two kids and a husband in a small town in Maine."

"I'm glad you've finally realized that," I managed to say without any sarcasm. A part of me did feel pity for my brother now that I knew how horribly he was hurting. "But I really don't think joining the army was the right choice."

"It wasn't," he was quick to agree. "I know you're probably wondering why I didn't just tell you or mom or anyone, but I didn't think I could handle the disappointment. You both hated Katherine. Back then, you never would have understood."

"You could have gone to a therapist," I pointed out.

He barked a mirthless laugh, "Yeah, and tell a complete stranger that I'm suicidal? I couldn't even admit that to myself back then. I should have, though. If I'd just talked to somebody, maybe things would have turned out different."

God, I hated hearing him say that. I can't even imagine what I would have done had he actually acted on those thoughts. I mean, I know I'm pissed at him, but he's still my baby brother. The thought of losing him is unbearable, and knowing just how close we were to that reality…

Stefan continued, "One day when I was in town, I saw one of those army recruiters sitting at a table in the grocery store with t-shirts and a sign up sheet. In that moment, I remember feeling like it was my only choice. I could escape for a while, get my head back on straight, and then come back and tell you and Mom everything."

"So how did 'a little while' turn into five years?"

"Embarrassment, plain and simple," he deadpanned. "While I can admit it took a long time to get over Katherine, I was able to look at life more positively after only three months there. The army made me feel like I had a purpose again. Katherine didn't need me, but my country did. I even talked to one of the counselors on the base about everything and she helped me through the depression."

"So being a parent wasn't enough of a purpose, but fighting for hundreds of thousands of strangers was?" I scoffed.

"I know it doesn't make sense," he quickly argued. "But when I left, Mia and Alex were so little. I only thought I'd be gone for a year or two and they'd barely miss me. I know how wrong that sounds. I know that _I_ should have been the one changing Mia's diapers and reading Alex bedtime stories. Maybe then my own daughter wouldn't be afraid of me. But I never thought it would take me this long. By the time two years had passed, I just felt mortified by the thought that I abandoned two kids. I didn't think they would want to see their absent father ever again, even when I read Alex's letters about how much he missed me. It just didn't seem real."

I exhaled before saying, "Now that I see your side of things, I guess I can have a little more sympathy. I get that you went through a lot and it was hell. But here's the difference between you and me, brother. If Elena went into labor right now and, God forbid, something happened and she didn't make it through childbirth, my sense of worth wouldn't disappear. It would go to my son. You always did like to run from your problems while I ran into them like a bull in a china shop. Maybe that's not something we can change about ourselves. I may never forgive you for what you did, but right now, I'm willing to look past it until the holidays are over. I'll talk to Mia some more and she'll warm up to you." I took a few steps closer to him until we were nose to nose. He was bulked up from the army still and an inch taller than me, but he never looked smaller. "But I swear to fucking God if you ever leave those two perfect children again I will personally make sure you never show your face in front of either of them again. Got it?"

He swallowed hard and promised, "I'm here for good this time, brother."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it took me so long to finally get this written, but I was in a bit of a slump. However, I've finished it and this is the last chapter of the Epilogue, so enjoy!

* * *

I'd hoped to be able to sleep in Christmas morning, but unsurprisingly it was a hopeless dream. Right at the crack of dawn, Elena and I were woken up to Mia crawling into bed between us, poorly attempting to muffle her excited giggles.

"Santa came!" She loudly whispered, making Elena groan.

"Baby, it's too early," my wife hoarsely told her. "The sun's not even out."

"But Santa brought our presents!" She pressed then turned to me. "There's so many, Damon! I think he got me everything on my list!"

I pulled her into my arms and squeezed her tightly, fighting against her delighted squirming, "Go back to sleep for another hour, okay?"

"But Santa!"

"Santa's presents can wait another hour," Elena sighed into her pillow. "Can you lay down with us and be quiet so the baby and I can get some more sleep?"

"Is Maxy awake?" She wondered. "I saw presents for him too!"

"Well, he's awake now," Elena muttered, turning onto her back and placing a hand on her belly. Mia managed to wriggle out of my embrace to press her ear against her belly.

"I don't hear anything," she argued, but a moment later she jumped back from one of my son's famous kicks. "He kicked me!" She complained.

"You woke him up!" Elena chuckled.

"Alex is awake too!" Mia huffed.

"But he didn't come into our room," I pointed out.

"That's because he's at Grandma's waking her up!" She proudly told us.

Of course he is. I can't wait until they're teenagers for the sole reason of them sleeping in.

I sighed, "Alright, we're coming."

Mia launched herself off the bed and landed with a loud thud before we could hear her running towards the living room. Elena turned and buried her face in my neck, "Don't make me get up."

I smiled and kissed her forehead, "Sleep in a bit more. I'll make them wait to unwrap the gifts you got them until you're up. They can do everyone else's first."

"Thank you," she mumbled, already snuggling back into the blankets.

I reluctantly crawled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I found Mia in the living room surrounding by a stack of her own presents that she'd already separated from the others. There was another pile beginning to take shape I guessed belonged to Alex, and the rest were still untouched under the tree.

Making a bee line for the kitchen, I started a pot of coffee. Elena was still pissed she couldn't have any, but there's only a few more days before she's home free. At least I hope so. Max sure is taking his time in there.

By the time I have a mug filled, Alex was back with Mom and Stefan in tow. I could tell neither of them were too happy about the time, but they didn't put up a fuss and instead followed the smell of coffee.

"Elena still asleep?" Mom wondered.

"For a little longer," I confirmed.

The kids spent a couple more minutes sorting each and every gift into piles according to who they were for before we gave them the go ahead to open anything that wasn't from Elena.

Every Christmas, I think that two children couldn't possibly open dozens of gifts any faster. And every year, I'm proven wrong. Before I'm finished with my first mug of coffee, the floor is covered in shredded wrapping paper and discarded plastic packaging. All the hours Elena, Mom, and I spent wrapping all for it to be ruined in minutes.

By the time Alex had batteries in a remote control truck and Mia had three new dolls already unpackaged, I could hear Elena rummaging around in the kitchen. She probably couldn't fall back asleep with all of the racket everyone was making.

Seconds later, she plopped down next to me on the couch with a small plate filled with assorted Christmas cookies. That was likely the only thing that could possibly keep her in a good mood, so I wisely didn't say anything about it.

"Why does Elena get to eat cookies for breakfast?" Alex complained.

I raised a brow, "Are you nine months pregnant?"

He pouted and Elena chuckled, "Okay, you guys can open the rest of your presents now."

They tore through those even faster than the first.

With my arm around Elena's shoulders, I softly ask in her ear, "You and Max doing okay?"

She leaned into the crook of my neck and closed her eyes, "Mm, yeah. He was kicking up a storm and it was hurting pretty bad, but I think he went back to sleep."

I left a lingering kiss on her forehead, "Not much longer now."

"Can you open his gifts?" She sleepily asked. "I'm too tired."

I fought a smile and called Mia over to help. With her opening skills everything will be unwrapped in no time.

She and Alex both made Max a drawing to go in his nursery. It was his name with a bunch of crudely drawn animals and odd shapes here and there. They also each decided to donate one of their stuffed animals for him to have. Mia gave us her well-worn puppy and Alex gave us a green dinosaur.

The rest of the gifts from Mom and I were mostly clothes and toys—the nursery was already well-stocked with diapers, baby wipes, lotion, formula, and anything else that Max would need. Elena had a blast decorating it; the walls were painted a pale gray-blue and all of the furniture was a warm oak color. Little bears, deer, squirrels, and other woodland creatures decorated the room. I had little say in what it looked like since my wife had been four months pregnant when we got around to setting everything up, but she did a great job. For the past month she's been in there 'nesting,' as the nurse called it. Apparently expecting mothers go through this phase when the due date gets closer where they feel like everything needs to be perfect. Elena's been cleaning the nursery like crazy and rearranging everything. I think she's washed all of Max's clothes about eight times now. No matter how times I tell her that they're clean, she won't listen.

But with the holidays now here, she hasn't been as frantic about it. I can't tell if it's because she's busy with the holidays or if it's because Max is about to enter this world and her body has finally acknowledged that she's done everything she can.

I really hope it's the latter. If I find her refolding onesies one more time, I think I'm going to have to confiscate them from her or lock her out of the room.

Mia and Alex are so busy with their new toys that I have to literally pry them away just to eat breakfast. You'd think french toast would be enough motivation for two kids to come eat, but you'd be wrong.

Stefan even tried his hand at parenting them. It was simultaneously hilarious and disappointing. Neither kid knew how to react to him being a parental figure. He told them to go sit down at the table, but they both just stared at him like he was a stranger trying to tell them no. It meant nothing to them.

Alex was a little more complacent; after Stefan repeated himself, he begrudgingly went to the table and pouted in his chair. Mia, well, I had to forcibly carry her into the kitchen. She screamed for all of ten seconds before she realized that I put chocolate chips on her french toast and then she was all too eager to eat.

Maybe Stefan being back wouldn't be so bad. It would be an uphill battle for sure, but having someone else to help out when Elena and I are sleep deprived new parents would be nice. Assuming he didn't give up again and could actually get his kids to listen to him.

Stefan offered to clean up after breakfast so I let him. Elena said she was going to try to catch a few more minutes of sleep and then disappeared down the hallway. Mom and I were back in the living room with the kids, attempting to clean up the packaging tornado that they left in their wake. I stepped on metal twist-ties about four times and cursed through every stabbing pain. Then I stepped on a Barbie shoe which was no better. At least Alex's toys didn't have tiny removable parts. Well, except for the Legos. Which I also stepped on. And it sucked.

When Stefan was back to help them with opening more packages, I wandered towards the bedrooms and wasn't at all surprised when Elena wasn't in ours. No, instead of sleeping like she should be, she was back in the nursery, just standing there looking around like there was something she forgot.

"There isn't possibly one more thing you could do in here to make it more perfect," I told her.

She turned around and said, "No, I know, it's just…do you think we should bring my breast pump to the hospital? I know they have formula just in case, but what if he won't breastfeed? We can bottle feed him, but I'd feel better if it was my breast milk instead of formula."

"We did pack the breast pump, babe," I chuckled. "Four weeks ago, when you insisted on getting the hospital bag ready."

"We did?" She winced. "Oh, I guess I forgot. Well, what about his little boots? It's going to be freezing outside and I don't want him getting cold."

"In the twenty seconds it'll take to go from the front door to the car? I think he'll be alright."

Elena sighed, "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

I set my hands on her belly and grinned, "Just a little."

"I'm getting impatient," she complained, dropping her forehead onto my chest. As much as I loved the look of her pregnant, I couldn't wait until she'd fit seamlessly against my body again.

"We all are," I kissed the top of her head. "But we are ready. More than ready. We have everything he could possibly need and then some. Every imaginable onesie size is in that closet and one of each is in the bag. We are ready."

She nodded then said, "Okay. I'm gonna go get some more cookies while I don't have to care about my weight."

She pulled away and headed towards the door, but she paused in the door frame and pressed her hands to her stomach.

Then she looked down at her legs and I noticed her pajama pants were wet.

She looked at me with wide eyes, "I, uh, think my water just broke."

* * *

Mia won the bet. She said that Max would come the day after Christmas. Mom and Alex both said Christmas day, I said New Year's eve, and Elena said anytime next year.

But on December 26th at 8:03 am, Elena gave birth to Maxwell James Salvatore. He weighed 8 pounds, six ounces, and he had a full head of dark hair with all ten fingers and toes.

He was perfect.

I knew that labor could last for hours, but I had no idea that it could go on for nearly an entire day. Despite Elena's water breaking, official contractions hadn't started for another couple hours. The hospital kept her admitted though because the amniotic sac had burst. For almost the entire day, we were waiting in her room while contractions slowly began and got closer together. Her cervix was dilating slower than a snail's pace, which frustrated both of us.

We both just wanted to meet our son.

But finally at three in the morning, her contractions grew close enough that they could give her the epidural and she could start pushing.

Just like we all guessed, Max took his sweet time coming into this world. Elena's uterus must really have been cozy because he was stubborn. But finally, Elena was able to squeeze him out.

Of course, she damn near broke my hand in the process, but it was worth it.

She was so worried about everything for nothing; max was absolutely perfect. He only cried for a few minutes after being born and them promptly latched on to Elena's nipple and started feeding like he'd done it a thousand times before. I could tell she was proud of him even if it was a natural instinct.

We both cried so many tears.

Now, as Elena slept a few feet away, I sat on the little couch with Max in my arms just staring at his chubby face. I wanted him to open his eyes so I could see if they would be my blue ones or Elena's brown ones. I also read that most babies are born with dark blue eyes and they change colors within the first three years, but if they were my blue, I knew they wouldn't change.

There was a soft knock on the door and I looked up to see the whole gang waiting with balloons, flowers, and stuffed animals. I rolled my eyes. Like he needed more presents.

I held a finger to my lips to tell them to be quiet for Elena as they came in. Mom hurried over to meet her third grandchild and she was already crying.

"He looks just like you, baby," she cooed in a soft whisper.

"Congratulations, brother," Stefan grinned and lightly clapped me on the shoulder. Despite our differences, I was too happy to care right now.

"Thanks, Stef."

"Do you need anything?" Mom fretted.

I smiled a little and said, "Elena will probably be hungry when she wakes up. If you could find a vending machine I'd appreciate it."

She nodded, "I'll search the left side, Stefan, you take right."

They both left the room, leaving Alex and Mia behind to meet their cousin. I sat back down on the couch and they climbed up on either side of me to look down at his little face. He managed to free one of his hands from the blanket and he had it tucked under his chin as he slept.

"This is Max, guys."

"He's so little," Alex commented quietly.

"Can I hold him?" Mia asked.

"You have to be very careful," I explained to her. "Sit still and make sure you hold his head." I knelt on the ground and gently placed Max on her lap so his head was leaning against her arm for support. She beamed down at him and softly giggled.

"He's heavy!"

"He's not made of plastic like your baby dolls," I playfully teased her.

She brought her free hand up to touch his pudgy cheek while Alex leaned over to get a better look.

"Does he do anything but sleep?"

"He eats and poops," I grinned.

His face scrunched up, "That's not fun. When can we play with him?"

"Not for a while. He's still a baby. You'll have to wait a couple years."

"He's holding my hand!" Mia gasped. Max's little fingers were tightening around hers. He had a good, strong grip when he wasn't sleeping, which meant he was waking up and would probably want to be fed. It had been a few hours since his last meal so that seemed about right.

Elena's tired voice sounded from behind me, "So what do you think of him?"

"He's fat!" Mia giggled.

"You were fat when you were a baby," I told her.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

Max opened his mouth for a big yawn and a whimper escaped with it, which led to fussing and eventually crying, so I set him in Elena's arms so she could feed him.

"Make sure you use the other boob this time so you're not uneven," I teased her, earning a glare. However, she as I said and switched breasts, which made me laugh.

Mom and Stefan returned with pretty much the whole damn vending machine and they set everything down on Elena's tray table. Mom gushed, "Elena, honey, he's so perfect. I'm so proud of you two kids."

"Thanks, Lily," she groggily said.

Stefan spoke up, "I know we only just met, but you're gonna be a great mom. Anyone can see how much you love my brother and now my nephew."

She smiled warmly and told him, "I know you think everything is screwed up right now, Stefan, but if you really try this time, you're gonna be a great dad too. It's never too late to try."

He smiled wryly, "I hope you're right."

"Of course she's right," I chipped in. "She's Elena Salvatore. She's always right."

Stefan chuckled and sent me a grateful look. With Max's arrival, I was feeling a little more forgiving. With our help, I know Stefan will pick things up quickly. He was a fast learner when we were kids and parenting is second nature. He also got to skip the not-so-cute part of changing diapers and cleaning vomit. He'll figure things out in no time.

When Max spit Elena's nipple out, she covered her chest back up and everybody took turns holding him. Now that he had a full belly, he was happy and quiet. Mom fell in love with him over and over each time he grabbed her finger or made a little gurgling noise. Stefan commented that he was bringing back some great memories of Mia and Alex's births. Caroline came by too and promised that Max would always be dressed in the cutest outfits, courtesy of her own designs. She was going to venture into the fashion world by using our son as a guinea pig, but as long as she wasn't putting him in ridiculous costumes, I didn't really care. Elena also said that she texted Bonnie and she was going to fly up after the holidays to meet Max.

It took hours, but eventually everyone went home and Elena and I were left to admire the little boy we made. I sat next to her on the bed and Max was between us, in a combination of both our arms.

"I'm thinking we should make Caroline his godmother," I said, surprising Elena. Caroline and I don't always see eye to eye and we bicker like siblings, but she's been a good friend to us.

"You do realize that she'll kidnap him every chance she gets if we do, right?" She laughed. "And don't even get me started on the matching outfits you know she'll make."

I shrugged, "I'm sure we'll want a break every now and then. You know, to work on baby number two."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Let's get my body through baby number one before we even _think_ about that. Do you know what a horror show I look like down there?"

I grinned evilly, "Actually, I do. I watched it happen. It was horrible."

"Ass," she slapped my shoulder. I kissed her temple and the moodiness disappeared from her eyes. She looked down at Max and said, "Let's make Stefan his godfather."

I stilled for a second because I hadn't even considered that. I know what Stefan said about being here for good, but I don't him abandoning _my_ son too.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"If we don't give him a chance, we'll never know."

I sighed, "Okay, but if he leaves again, he's officially not the godfather. I'll make Alex the godfather."

She shot me a look, "Because an eight year old can take care of a baby."

"At least he'd be there," I grumbled.

"No, none of that," she warned me. "You have to give him a chance, so stop it with the jabs and pokes. He feels bad enough without you making it worse."

I groaned and dropped my head back against the pillow, "Fine."

"That's the spirit," she deadpanned.

"Sorry, but you know that once you break my trust, it's not easy to get it back without a damn good excuse."

"I know," she said while leaning her head on my shoulder. "That's why I'm just asking you to try."

"Deal," I agreed, resting my cheek on her head. "We did make a pretty good baby."

She hummed in agreement then said, "He could have been a little speedier, but we did."

"The first kid is usually the longest labor," I pointed out.

She pouted, "How many more of these things do you really want?"

"Not that many more," I chuckled. "Just enough until we get a girl."

"I can get on board with that."

"What if takes three more kids?"

"Then as soon as we get that girl you're getting a vasectomy."

I winced, "Ow, why me?"

"Would you rather never have sex again?"

"I guess not," I grumbled. "But you have to ice my balls the entire time."

She rolled her eyes, "Poor baby. One little snip meanwhile I'm tearing from my V to my A with every birth."

"You didn't want the C-section," I pointed out.

"Who wants a big-ass scar on their stomach?" She snapped. "Besides, it's not the same. I don't get to watch it happen."

"You did so amazing, baby," I told her with a kiss on her forehead.

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"All I did was sit there like an idiot!" I chuckled. "You did all of the hard work."

"Alright, Daddy, whatever you say."

"Hey Elena?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

She looked up at me with those big brown doe eyes that made me fall in love with her to start with and smiled tenderly, "I love you, too."

* * *

Thank you all for reading this story and all of your wonderful reviews! They really did motivate me to finish the epilogue. I hope you liked reading this story as much as I liked writing it! Follow me for more stories! I plan on posting more once I finish writing them. I'm also still looking for a Beta reader if anybody's interested. Just PM me!


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